Tibetan and Himalayan Library - THL

Description: This chapter from the book Psychology and Buddhism: From Individual to Global Community focuses on empowerment, a concept which in psychology has come to refer the "process that enables people, organizations, and communities to gain control over issues of concern to them." Historically, the concept of empowerment arose out of environments where people had very little power to control issues and challenges that faced them, such as places of extreme poverty and oppression. The concept of empowerment was proposed as a way to help individuals, organizations, and communities develop strategies to bring about change through activism, citizen participation, community development and organization, education, and critical thinking and activity aimed at affecting law and public policy. Taking as an example the international Soka Gakkai Buddhist society and drawing from the study of empowerment in psychology, the author looks at how Buddhist philosophy, practice, organizational structure, and models of social engagement and leadership can contribute to practical ways of personal empowerment on the individual level, collective empowerment at the community level, and, through the practice of socially engaged Buddhism, empowerment at the level of society. (Zach Rowinski 2005-01-09)